Slipover garment



April 6, 1948. sMlCKER 2,439,149

SLIP-OVER GARMENT Filed March 29, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. fMMfl r4 SM/cme ATTORNEY.

P ,l948. E. A. SMICKER Q 2,439,149

S'LIP-OVER GARMENT Filed March 29, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. [MMHHSM/Ckg-B ATTORN EY.

April 6, 1948.

E. A. SMICKER SLIP-OVER GARMENT Filed Marph 29, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

EMMA A fiM/c/(fla ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 6, 1948 Emma A. Smicker, Allentown, Pa., assignor to Blossom Products Corporation, Allentown, Pa;, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 29, 1947, Serial No. 738,049

I Claims.

i This invention relates to shirts, particularly to infants garments with self-adjusting neck opena.

In previous attempts to provide infants shirts w th neck openings adapted to expand while the shirt is being'slipped over the head of the infant the seaming attaching the sleeve to the body and shoulderportion of the garment has always constituted a restricting element limiting the expansion of the neck opening to the region of theseaming. This limited amount of expansion has been an inherent shortcoming in garments-of this category, particularly since the maximum possible expansion is desirable to accommodate not only the head, but also the arms of the infant during the operation of slipping the shirt over its body. It is within the contemplation of my invention to eliminate this shortcoming by removing the seaming joining the sleeve to'the body and shoulder portion of the garment, thereby permitting a reater expansion of the neck portion. In the preferred method of practicing this invention, this objective is obtained byremoving the seaming to the very edge of the sleeve, as will more clearly hereinafter appear. 1

In certain known garments of this category, in order to effectuate an expansion of the neck portionl'it was found necessary to employ separate shou'lderstraps and sleeve portions, thereby producinga relatively complicated construction. It isanotherimportant object of my invention to simplify garments of this category by providing a novel combination sleeve and shoulder portion, an arrangement which requires fewer operations in the assembly of the garment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a garment of this category with the maximum freedom of movement of the arms, an objectivewhich is obtained by removing the conventional seaming between shoulder and sleeve portions.

I A still further object of this invention is to provide, in a garment of this class, sleeves rein forced by a. double layer of material along the upper portion thereof, and containing a single layer of material along the lower portion thereof for flexibility.

Other objects, features and benefits will appear from the drawings and the description hereinafter given.

Figure l is a front view of a shirt illustrating a preferred form of my invention, a fragment of the shoulder sleeve portion being removed for clarity;

Figure 2 is a rear view of Figure 1;

l n 2 I Figure 3 is a section of Figure 1 taken along line3--3; f'

Figure 4 is a topyiew of the garment of Fig ure 1; i t

Figure5 is 'a viewlike Figure 4, but showing an infant's head in place and illustrating a partial expansion of the neck opening;

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the garment of Figure 1; t

Figure 7 is a disassembled arrangement of the patterns or component partsconstituting the device of Figure 1, the dot-dash lines illustrating the unfolded condition of the sleeve shoulder portionsfand 1 l Figure 8 is an end view of Figure '7.

The shirt illustrated in the drawing is preferably of knitted material, and consists of a front member III, a rear member II and two sleeve inserts l2.

Merged with the said front member ill, on opposite sides of the neck portion l3, are two extensions these extending upwardly to the shoulder level I 5 then horizontally and rearwardly along the upper shoulder, and then downwardly. The said elements l4 lalso extend outwardly to the predetermined sleeve edge [6. The rear member II also has merged therewith, and at oppositesides of the neck'portion H, the extensions l8', these extending upwardly to the said shoulder level l5, thenhorizontally and forwardly, and then downwardly. Extensions I8 also extend outwardly to the aforesaid sleeve edges I6. a

-'I'he front and rear members In and II are so proportioned that the widths of the corresponding body portions l9 and 20 (Figure 7) are such that they can be seamed together along their lateral edges 2| and 22 respectively to form seams 23; and the proportions of extensions l4 and I8 are such that when they are placed in overlapping relation, particularly as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 6,"the lateral extremities will coincide at sleeve edges lli. I i

The sleeve inserts 12 are preferably U-shaped and are so proportioned that theycan be attached, by seaming' 24, to thelower edges of the overlapping extensions I4 and i8, and to the adjacent region ofthe 'body portion'below said overlapping extensions, the length of the insert being such that the outer edges thereof coincide with the sleeve edges I6.

In the form of my invention illustrated, the insert I2 is disposed between the two layers [4 and I8, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. Seaming 24 extends inwardly from sleeve edge 16, subpansible neck openin is automatically effectual I ated, without the need of further cutting. or at. taching operations other than producing seam" edges l6 and 24.

It is further apparent thatthe neck opening;

can be expanded substantially to the region of outer sleeve edges [6, inasmuch as there is no obstruction, along the upper part of the gen ment, to a separation of the two overlapping. exj tensions. Thus, by doing away with seams or stitching intermediate the, sleeve edges andneek portion, the aforementioned undesirable. restrictionto expansion is eliminated.

Since the entireshoulder portion from the neck to the sleeveend is free ofstitching or seaming, it is obvious tkiat" this'garment'provides a maximum freedoin ot movement in the regiono-f the arm.- The seaming- 24 of the insert l2 does not constitute a restriction to the stretching of the garment, since any; stress or pull that would be applied to the seam- 24 would merely result in a slight pull only in th;e rgionr25 of the body of he m d: that; w i d t k n up t only by the stretchability of the knitted material, but also by the relative movement of the two overlapping extensions. 7

My invention also provides a double layer sleeve along the irnajor upper portion thereof, for strength, and a single layer of material (the insert l2) at the bottom of the sleeve for flexibility, thereby providing ;tw o desirable qualities for a garment ot this-category.

In theiabove descriptionpthe invention has been disclosed merely byway of example and in preferred manner; but obviously manyvariations and modifications maybe made therein which will still becomprised within its spirit. It is to be understood; therefore-,tha-t the invention is not limiteditd'any specific form or manner of practicing same; exceptin so far'as such limitations are specified iii the appended claims.

Iclairn':

1. A shirt comprising a front member, 'a rear member and two sle'eve inserts secured together to form a laterally enclosed body with two shoul= ders and sleeves; the said front memberoon tainihg ab'o'dys'ecticn; a .cut=-out neck portion and two extensions on opposite sides of the neck portion merged with th'exbody section and extend ing upwardly-to the shoulder level and then' a predetermined distance rearwardly and down= wardly, and outwardlyfto the sleeve edge; the

said rear member containing a bodysection, a neck portion and two extensions on opposite sides of the neck portion merged with the body section and extending upwardly, to the shoulder level and'then a predetermined distance forward- 1y and downwardly and outwardly to the sleeve edge; the said extensions constituting combination sleeve and shoulder portions, the combination sleeve and shoulder portions of the rear member overlapping the corresponding portions of the front member, each pair of overlappingportions forming an upper sleeve section of two layers; each of the said sleeve inserts being substantially U-shaped and being attached to the lower edges, of one of said pai-rs of overlapping portions and to the adjacent body portion, the seam of each of said inserts extending inwardly ;trom the outer sleeve edge horizontally and downwardly.

2.- Ina shirt of the class described, a body portion-, ;a'- neck portionat least one pair of overlapping eombination shoulder and sleeve por- ,tior'isiextending outwardly from the neck portion to for annpper sleeve section of two layers,

anclat sleeve'insert attached to the lower edges of saidoverlapping portions and to the adjacent body portion, to form a lower sleeve section of a single, layer, said overlapping; portions bein secured. together at their outertedges} is;

outer sleeve seam. ---'f1 3. A shirtcornprising a ,front 'member arear member and two sleeve inserts securedjogether; to forma laterally enclosed loodywith two s hou'l ders and sleeves ;j a pair'or overlapping extensions on each side 'of'the neck'portion extendi g up e? m the itii ie zr o iima b the shoulder level and then-a predet edge to form an ,upper sleeve section aidisleeve inserts each being. attached to; the lower edgespf one pair" of s d v r r am rt qns: eiorma 1 lower sleeve section, H said; overlapping; portions together at their; enter edges; to i being secured form-an outer sleeve-seam.

4. .A Shirt sin a b dr ortio amethportion, two overlapping combination'shoulder and sleeve portions forming double-layer upper 1 sleeve sections, and two inserts seamed to thev lower edges oithe overlapping p rt ns a dforms ing lower single layer sleeve sectionspthe'inserts;

being attached between the 'two layers-ofjthecoreresponding upper sleeve; sections, the said, overedges to form outer-seamst lapping t on b n s wed, a :t eie te 5. In a shirt of th class described abodyi portion, a neck portion, at l east one pairof overappi g combina shou de nd. s eev m tions xt d utwa y m,.; 2 9 711901: tion to form n u n rs ev t etien o alesisiea a ev in rfia taehed ie-t el we i edges of said overlapping portionsand o-the;

adjacent body t e ..t -;iq m;a l wer: s eeve section of a single layer, the seam ot said insert extending inwardly from the outer sleeve edge;

horizontally and then downwardly,

EMMA.

REFERENCES ems The following references file of this patent:

UNITED'sTATESrA rEN S v Number l lame 1,110,501 Lee Sept.;15;-;I91 4,1, 2,035,377

Redmond antler.-. Mar. 24;;1936

are of 7 record Kathe Date 

